1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aircraft landing systems and more particularly pertains to a new emergency aircraft landing system for absorbing the impact from an aircraft landing under emergency conditions such as a failure deploying the landing gear of the aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of aircraft landing systems is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,033 describes a method for controlling a carrier which is used to carry a flight vehicle. Another type of aircraft landing system is U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,706 disclosing a single trailer unit having a concave upper surface and air bags extending normally upwards in spaced relationship to each other along the device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,066 discloses a moving platform that is also a single unit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,966 discloses a landing system utilizing frictional bearing members. U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,159 discloses a landing device having a dual stage system in which the wings are supported by a first support assembly before the fuselage contacts a second support assembly. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 296,940 discloses an ornamental appearance for a trailer borne air inflated safety cushion.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a system that is adjustable in length and provides multiple systems for absorbing impact from a landing aircraft, the multiple systems including a cushioned hinge plate system as described herein.
The present invention meets the needs presented above by providing multiple segments, each segment having multiple assemblies each designed for absorbing impact and cushioning an aircraft landing on the segments.
To this end, the present invention generally comprises a plurality of wheeled segments coupled into a line, a steerable head unit, a drive means, each segment having a base support plate and a plurality of hinged plates coupled in spaced relationship to the base support plate with an outer edge of each hinged plate being hingedly coupled to the base support plate by a vertical support such that an interior edge of each hinged plate is collapsible towards the base support plate, a plurality of shock absorbing units for cushioning collapsing of said interior edges of said hinged plates, and cushions coupled to each of the hinged plates.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.